Awkward Start
by Sathaeri
Summary: For Shepard and Garrus, race doesn't matter. What does matter is keeping their relationship a secret... but when people listen in on conversations they weren't meant to hear, the main question becomes something else: will everyone else accept it?
1. Chapter 1

"How 'bout we skip right to the tiebreaker?" she crooned. "We could test your reach... and my flexibility."

Garrus blinked. Was she really...? Yes, she was. Oh, crap. Crapcrapcrap.

"You, uh," he began. "I... really? I, uh... never knew you had a weakness for men with scars."

"Do _you_ have a weakness for women with scars?"

"I... never really did, no. But," he added hastily, seeing her discouraged face, "sure, I'd try it with you. I mean, why the hell not? There isn't anyone I trust more than you, after all."

She grinned and poked his cheek playfully. "So... are you really that good?"

"At what?"

"You know. _'Reach.'_"

Garrus coughed suddenly. "I, err–"

"Don't worry about it, Garrus," she said, laughing. "I'll let you get back to work."

"Thanks, Shepard."

"You're welcome. But I won't be this merciful on you next time."

He was silent as she slipped past him, swaying hips and all, and exited the room. After the door slid closed he leaned on the wall and breathed in deeply. _By the spirits, that was close._

A sudden voice interrupted his recovery. "Hey Garrus!"

Garrus jumped and turned to his terminal. "What...?" The screen flickered on and then he grinned. "Solana! How'd you get onto my station?"

"What I want to know is what you were just talking about with that human," Solana snapped on the orange-framed screen.

Garrus stopped short. Damn. Did she hear them just talk about...

**~o~O~o~**

"Hey Joker."

"Hey Commander. What's up?"

Shepard sighed. "Nothing."

"You know, I was going over some Shakespeare, and did you know that in the olde days the word 'nothing' was actually slang for v–"

"Dammit, Joker, now is not the time for this kind of dumbass stuff."

"Yeah, yeah... but if you ask me, 'this kind of dumbass stuff' didn't seem to bother you when you were talking with Mister Stick-Up-My-Butt."

"Joker."

"What?"

"Screw you."

Joker laughed. "Come on, you knew I'd do this kind of thing. I can't help it!"

"Yeah, you can. Or at least you damn well better."

"Yeah, I know..." He clicked a couple buttons. "Like that thing with Kaidan in the locker rooms."

"Uh huh. Way to interrupt us, by the wa– wait a minute! So you really were spying on us?"

"No, I honestly wasn't!" Joker raised his hands in innocence. "I just needed to find where you were first, and you were, you know, in the locker rooms with Kaidan." He grinned mischievously. "But judging by the way you talk about it I'm guessing there was something hot going on."

"Nothing was going on."

"Did I mention 'nothing' used to mean–"

Shepard kicked his chair. "Shut up."

She opened the shutters and watched the stars and nebulae fly by as Joker continued to pilot the ship. It was silent for a while, then he asked, "Gonna get some hot turian action, then?"

Shepard stiffened. "For the love of god, Joker. Really?"

"What can I say? I can't help it!"

"I know, but did you really have to listen to the entire conversation?"

"I don't know about you but I thought it was interesting," he explained. "Hence the eavesdropping."

"Yeah, but then–"

"Then you propositioned him," he finished, "and he actually agreed." He chuckled. "Don't blame you, I wanna know what a turian looks like without armor, too."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "I cannot believe you, Joker."

"Yeah, well, don't worry. Only I heard it. No worries."

"Actually, Mr. Moreau," a metallic voice added, "I also heard it."

"Augh! Of course!" Joker cried out exasperatedly. "It's always listening!"

**~o~O~o~**

"What are you thinking, Garrus? She's a human. A _human_! You don't know how many things are wrong with that."

"Shh!" Garrus hissed. "No one else needs to know. And if you don't remember, she saved the entire galaxy. I think _that's_ pretty self-explanatory."

"And what's more," the female turian on the screen continued, "she's your superior officer. Now there are about a million more things wrong with that. Besides, didn't you travel with her before?"

"Yeah," he admitted, "but Solana, that was different. Back then she was... she was..." He paused.

"Huh," Solana scoffed. "You're speechless. You really don't know what you've gotten yourself into, do you?"

"I do know," he argued. "It's just that then she was more focused on... on someone else. Another human."

"And now she's moved on to you? Don't let her hurt you, Garrus. It's dangerous."

"She'd never hurt me."

"Do you really know that for sure?" She shook her head and sighed. "Sometimes I worry for you about stuff like this. You don't deserve to get your heart broken. Not again."

He glanced down. "Yeah, I know. But right now she's all I've got."

"Just... make sure she really wants this, at least."

Garrus scratched the side of his head. "Wants... wants what?"

"To be with you."

"How do I even ask her? Hell, what do you want me to _say_? That I think she can find something closer to home?"

She shrugged. "Sure. I mean, there are humans where you are, right?"

"But what if she _does_ realize that?" he fretted. "Because it's true, the entire crew here is human, and the only aliens are me and this salarian. And a krogan. And I don't–"

Solana laughed heartily. "Oh, spirits," she giggled, "it's true! You actually _like her back_."

He looked away. "She's my only real friend. If this is what she wants then I won't sacrifice my friendship for that."

"That's it? You're just going to let her walk all over you? You have to fight for what you want."

"What else can I do?" Garrus retorted solemnly. "I... she brought everything back. She saved my ass more than enough times. Hell, she saved this entire galaxy–"

"You said that already."

"–not the point. My point is, she should get what she wants. And if what or who she wants is me, then that's fine."

"I think," Solana suggested, "that's just your excuse." She snorted. "You're in love with a human. Don't worry, I won't tell Mom. She doesn't need any more stress than she already has. But think for yourself, Garrus. And do what _you_ want."

Before he could reply, she had logged off. Garrus stood staring at the orange screen a little longer, thinking about what she had said.

What did he really want?

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Hope you enjoyed this little thing I wrote while trying to shake off writer's block. Whoops! Forgot to edit. This is no longer a oneshot! Yay for reviewers pressuring me to write more! And thanks for reading :) Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated!_

_P.S. Sparknotes: No Fear Shakespeare: Hamlet: Act 3, Scene 2, lines 102-110, modern English_

_See what Joker was talking about. If you dare! __**This has been a "watch out for inappropriate stuff, kids!" warning, brought to you by Sathaeri, who is suffering from a severe case of writer's block and is reading Shakespeare to compensate for the sudden lack of inspiration. O_o**_


	2. Chapter 2

"EDI, where's Shepard?"

The blue form bounded up from a pad near the computer. "Shepard is nearby, in the main battery."

"Thank you."

Miranda neatly stacked the datapads on her desk and stood up, stretching a little. Office work was sometimes as trying as field work, but the Illusive Man wanted to be in the know. _And in control_, she added in her head. It didn't bother her as much as she thought. He was capable, that was a given, and he seemed to grab credits from thin air.

As huge as the funding had been for Lazarus, Miranda still needed to know everything was fine with Shepard. There was always the possibility of mistake. Especially now that she knew Wilson had been a traitor.

She walked out of the office, past Sergeant Gardner (who hopefully wasn't cooking anything too atrocious), and across the small walkway to the door to the main battery. The turian Garrus Vakarian was usually there, she knew, doing God knows what with his daily calibrations.

Perhaps they were talking. She also knew Garrus was one of Shepard's old friends. They probably had a lot to catch up on. Maybe she should leave them alone for now.

_No, Miranda_, a voice in her mind barked. _Now isn't the time for sentimentality. The Illusive Man wants results. That doesn't leave time for..._

The voice trailed off and a different one from behind the door took its place. "...but really, yes. I'm not joking."

A short pause, then a male turian's voice said, "It's just... look, Shepard. I know you can find something a lot closer to home."

"I don't want something closer to home. I want you. You know. Someone I can trust."

"...I can do that."

Miranda's eyes widened at the thought. Shepard and Garrus? Together?

The Illusive Man would be very interested in this, indeed.

**~o~O~o~**

"But... what about Kaidan?" he asked tentatively. "You and him–"

"He and I are over," she interrupted. "You were on Horizon, Garrus. You heard what he said. You saw what he did. He..." She shook her head. "He can ignore the Collectors all he wants. I... I don't give a damn anymore."

"That's a little harsh, Shepard."

"Is it? He turned his back on me. Hell, he got _angry_ at me. And for what? For being too dead to contact him!" She turned away. "The very least I expected was acceptance, or – or support, or something, anything. But..." She shrugged. "Nothing."

Garrus stood silently for a moment. "It's, ah, probably the Cerberus thing, too."

"Yeah, that." Shepard paced around the small room. "But from _him_, of all people... god, Garrus, it feels like a stab in the back, almost."

The turian frowned immediately, eyes narrowing and flaring up with great intensity. He turned away quickly, trying to continue with his calibrations.

"Oh, come on," she goaded, making him face her. "I know what you're thinking about. But I didn't mean to make you think of that."

His eyes softened. "I– yeah. I'm sorry, I kind of..."

"Lost a little control there?"

He scoffed, but nodded. "Crap, you really know me well. But it's over now; I shouldn't be thinking about it."

"It's all right."

"And, um, I also didn't mean to remind you of... uh..."

"Yeah. That." She sighed. "Thanks for being concerned, but it's my problem, and I have to deal with it myself."

"Well, if you need anything... I'll always be here for you, Shepard."

She smiled. "I know."

"I still think we're bordering on crazy here, though," he added after a short pause.

"Mood killer."

A small, throaty chuckle bubbled from his mouth. "I just want to know what you think about this. You know, like 'why me?'"

"Do you want it to be you?" she retorted.

"Yes, of course," he said quickly. "I mean, yeah. It's, uh, great, for you to choose me out of all the other people you could have. I'm just wondering why you... picked... me."

For once, no words came out of her mouth. No snarky comments, no pointed replies. Only a look that Garrus had never seen before. Her face was no longer the battle-hardened visage of a commanding and capable leader.

A lost young woman, staring at the one person who, through thick and thin, never turned his back on her.

As her arms circled around his waist and he cradled her head against his chest, he finally understood.

**~o~O~o~**

**_Re: About Horizon_**

Kaidan,

You can have your goddamn apology back.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Well, there it is.  
__...  
__...uh...  
__...  
__...prone to revision?_

_Let me know what you think! 'Cause, you know, reviews are an important part of any author's well-balanced breakfast... Thank ye muchly if ye do review!_


	3. Chapter 3

"So, Tali..."

The quarian looked up. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question... about Shepard?"

"Of course." Tali clicked a couple buttons on her console then turned to face her turian friend. "What's the question?"

He was silent for a short moment. Finally he asked, "Do you know what Shepard's favorite color is?"

"Her favorite color?" she repeated. "That's a little random."

"Yeah, I know." He scratched his fringe somewhat nervously.

Tali sighed and shrugged. "Honestly, Garrus? My guess is as good as yours."

Garrus sighed and narrowed his eyes in thought as she turned back to the console. "Why did you want to know?" she asked, typing vigorously on the interface.

"I... just wanted to know."

"Riiiight," she remarked, skepticism audible in her amused voice. She turned back towards him. "Face it, I know something's up. People don't usually just want to know things, especially preferences, unless there's a good reason."

"How do you know that?" he returned, arching the turian equivalent of a human eyebrow.

Tali chuckled. "You can learn about a lot of different things when you're a quarian," she said. "Sometimes you don't talk as loud when people are nearby because you don't want to attract attention, right? It's different for us. People forget that our masks are like a one-way mirror. And not soundproof."

"What do you mean by 'like a one-way mirror'?"

"I mean that you can't see what my expression is very well," she explained, "but just because you can't, it doesn't mean I can't see yours as well as anybody else."

Garrus hummed in understanding. A small silence descended on them.

"I'm going to take a really big guess," said Tali, breaking the quiet.

"Go for it."

"You like her, don't you?"

Garrus didn't say anything.

"Do I need to explain?"

"Please do," he grumbled.

Tali giggled and began. "You always looked at her all those years ago, when we were going after Saren. I noticed that. But there was someone else who was doing exactly that same thing."

"Kaidan," said Garrus.

"Yes. You were afraid th–"

"Okay, hold it," he interrupted. "I was not afraid."

"You were," Tali retorted firmly, "because you're a turian, and turians and humans aren't on good terms. You were afraid she would be one of those people. You were afraid she wouldn't like you."

Garrus sighed defeatedly. "Makes sense. But 'afraid' is a bit of a stretch."

"Anyway," she continued, "Kaidan took the first move sort of, by expressing interest. It went on from there."

"Yeah..."

"He really made her believe he loved her," Tali muttered, pity coloring her words. "And... to me, at least... it looks like all he did was turn right around and break her heart."

There was another short pause.

"But how did you find out so much about people?" he asked. "No offense, but aren't you more about technology and AIs than people?"

"AIs and VIs are designed to act like real people. It helps to know about people first before working on one."

"So then, you know that the thing between her and Kaidan is over now, right?"

"Of course," she said, to his surprise. "That's why you're asking about her."

"You're too smart for your own good, Tali," he scoffed playfully, touching her shoulder. "Thanks."

As he walked away, she called after him, "You can always just ask her about her favorite color."

**~o~O~o~**

"Did you hear that, Gabby?"

"Yeah. Is the commander really...?"

Kenneth shook his head. "I dunno if that's even possible. Can humans and turians have s–"

"Shhh!" Gabby hissed. "Tali's right there around the corner!"

"Can she hear us?"

"Of course she can! She was just talking about it!"

"About what?"

Gabby rubbed her forehead. "You really are an idiot sometimes."

"Yep," said Kenneth. "It's a special talent of mine."

"Well either way, Shepard could get a lot of crap about it. I hope she's careful."

"If I were her, I would be really careful. Of chafing." He nodded to himself.

The next thing Tali heard was a slap.

**~o~O~o~**

"Hey... uh, Commander."

Shepard raised her head from the table. "Huh? Oh, it's you." She let it fall back with a heavy _thunk_. "What is it, Garrus?"

"I was just wondering... what's your favorite color?"

"My... favorite color?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "You know," she said, laughing a little, "no one's asked me that since I was in high school, when this one boyfriend was trying to get to know me better."

The word sent a jolt of alarm through his system. _Boyfriend._

"I like red."

"...Huh? What?"

"I said I like red."

"Oh." He thought for a moment and asked hesitantly, "Is a boyfriend... like, a..."

"Someone you're dating," she said rather blandly. "Who's a male."

He wrung his hands. "Do you... consider... me... to be your...?"

She giggled, then nodded. "Yeah, sorta."

"We're dating?"

"You didn't think we were?" she asked back.

"Well, we haven't even... gone out at all. Together."

"We have. There was always some other person with us, though. Miranda never lets me off the ship without two other people anymore."

"But you agree that we're dating."

"Yeah, sure." He stood a bit awkwardly as she _thunk_ed her head back on the table. She seemed so pale. Was there something wrong?

"I don't mean to pry," he said suddenly, "but are you okay?"

She looked at him sideways and smiled. "Yeah. I'm just... I'm tired, that's all."

"We're arriving at that next destination pretty soon. Are you sure you're okay?"

Shepard stood up, all signs of fatigue gone, and walked towards him. "You're a really good friend, you know?"

Garrus let a small chuckle emerge from his throat. "I try my best."

"Get ready to leave, okay?" she said, patting his arm. "I want to take you with me."

"You got it."

She touched his face before he left to gear up.

Later on Illium, Garrus made sure to sneak away from the group to the nearest florist, to look for red flowers.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ *wink* FLUFF ATTAAACK!_

_Thank you for reading! Reviews about any part of this are welcome :) They don't even have to be in-depth! :D_

_If you do choose to review, thanks! If not, well, thanks for reading anyway! And sorry for the sporadic updating. :)_


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